This thread is for the general discussion of the Aquarium Amazing garden style aquarium. Please add to the discussion here.
Showcase Amazing garden style aquarium
- Thread starter Art
- Start date
-
- Tags
- garden style
- Tagged users None
Amazing garden style aquarium from Paulina
BenB
Active Member
I wish the AGA would get rid of their categories based on size and change to nature, Dutch, garden, and diorama in addition to the other traditional ones like biotope, etc. I feel like the AGA could grab this and be the main competition venue for this.
Completely agree and Ive thought about this a lot. The problem with making a new category such as 'Garden Style' is there has to be guidelines or certain criteria that defines the category. What would the criteria be for garden style? Not just to qualify, but what would count for higher or lower scoring between the entries?
Strong focal point could be one. Then...what? If you start talking about color contrasts or color requirements, pretty soon its just Dutch guidelines without the species limit (which wouldnt be a bad idea, basically what the tank in OP is)
However, the species limit for Dutch is there for a reason - to require bigger groups. Its a proven fact of human perception that visually speaking, 12 big groups are more appealing to the eye than 37 small ones. (taken from the principals of things like art and composition going back through the centuries, japanese garden layout, etc) Also with big groups you can do more shape and contour stuff, create more looks and effects, which is where actual scaping skills come in
So in a way Dutch rules already figured out what "looks best" to humans 75 years ago. Ancient Japanese Garden makers did it 1000 years before that. Sounds very subjective doesnt it. Its just an extension on how we group plants together instead of having them all mixed together. Because its widely accepted that having them in groups looks better. Not everyone has to agree but its something of a standard
If you want to get technical, to the trained eye the tank above has big symmetry issues. (anyone curious I'll show you) Who cares right, its beautiful! Screw those rules! Lol
Still the point remains, to have a class where tanks compete against each other, there has to be a score based on something in order to say one scape better than another. Why the 1st place tank ranked higher than 3rd. Logic says youd start with the accepted principals of art, composition and layout, and... pretty soon we come full circle right back to the Netherlands
On the flip side if you say there is no criteria because its "garden style", then it just becomes what a particular judge happens to fancy at the moment. If thats the case might as well make it poll style with the winner decided by popular vote
Those are just my thoughts on the subject. I definitely agree its a shame some of these tanks have no place to show. Im just not seeing a path to make garden style an official category
Last edited: